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A-Rod To Have Hip Surgery

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A Tribune wire report

Published: March 9, 2009

TAMPA - Alex Rodriguez will have arthroscopic hip surgery today and is expected to miss six to nine weeks. The Yankees slugger will need further surgery after the season.

The diagnosis by Marc Philippon on Sunday was yet another jolt to Rodriguez during a tumultuous month in which the three-time AL MVP admitted using steroids from 2001-03 while with Texas.

Philippon, who will perform the procedure, is confident in the "85-90 percent range" that Rodriguez will be able to play through the entire regular season.

"I firmly believe this approach will be successful and allow Alex to return," Philippon said. "We've had very good success with this approach. Short term, we feel the risk is very limited that he will re-tear his labrum during that six-, seven-month period."

The decision eliminates the option of Rodriguez treating the injury with rest and rehab and playing through the season without surgery. This operation will not completely correct the hip. More aggressive surgery would have sidelined Rodriguez three to four months.

Rodriguez has a torn labrum and a cyst in his right hip. The cyst was drained Wednesday, and he had additional tests Friday to test the hip's strength and flexibility.

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